Local activist leads crusade for indigenous in Peru

Published 8:00 pm, Tuesday, June 16, 2009

STAMFORD -- An ongoing struggle to develop Peru at the hands of human rights and public safety has made its way to Stamford.

International activist and Stamford resident Huascar Moises Cabanillas is leading a "new crusade" in defense of the indigenous people living in the jungles of Peru.

A former teacher at Greenwich High School, he is aided by his friend and fellow Stamford resident Jose Rios-Nino, as the two aim to educate area residents of the corruption that engulfs their native country through telling video and witness testimony.

"My roots are indigenous, so I feel like I must help these people," said Cabanillas, who was raised in the mountainous region near Cajamarca, Peru. "This crusade is about respect for life, human dignity and social justice."

The "new crusade," as they call it, stems from the exploitation of indigenous groups in Peru who claim government decrees are allowing foreign companies to exploit their land for oil, gas and logging.

Cabanillas, who is trained as a lawyer, routinely travels to the country's jungles teaching Amazon natives their constitutional rights.

"These people don't know their elementary rights," he said. "They're farmers, agriculturists. They live off the land. If you take their land, they have nothing."

President Alan Garcia says the laws are needed to help impoverished Peru develop.

The decrees were enacted last year to make Peruvian law meet requirements of a free trade agreement with the United States.

Peru's Congress indefinitely suspended two of these decrees last week after protests in Bagua turned violent. At least 23 police were killed, some with wooden spears, and Indian leaders say at least 30 civilians died. Peruvian police have been accused of hiding civilian bodies and using excessive force to clear the jungle blockades.

Neither Cabanillas nor Rios-Nino advocate violence.

"I tell the groups I lecture, we don't need heroes," said Cabanillas.

Rios-Nino agreed. "We can't be passive about this, but at the same time, we don't believe in violence," he said.

Rios-Nino has the calming demeanor of a Buddhist monk. He speaks slowly and with his eyes half-closed. Having come to America from Lima 15 years ago, he's now a mathematics instructor at J.M. Wright Technical High School. Cabanillas refers to his friend as his "spiritual leader."

Cabanillas himself is more impassioned. He speaks of these issues as if they affect him directly.

"When you live here and you're so far away from home, it's easy to forget that this affects all of us," he said.

Despite some misconceptions, the two say they're not anti-development. Rather, they encourage smart, sustainable development; not construction that rips people from their homes and contaminates the land with harsh chemicals.

On his laptop, Cabanillas carries graphic images of Peruvians removed from their farms and placed into ghettos on the outskirts of the city. He has video, produced by friends in Peru, that show workers blowing up abandoned villages in the mountains of Peru with thousands of pounds of dynamite.

The new crusaders plan to translate the video from indigenous dialogue to English and Spanish and showcase it to Stamford residents.

And they'll have help too.

Though the Stamford-based Peruvian American Community Center has no political affiliation, part of the PACC mission is to educate area residents about Peruvian culture, traditions and issues, said Alex Martinez, president of the PACC.

"Their mission is very positive," said Martinez. "Their trying to educate the public and we're certainly willing to help with that."

Cabanillas acts as legal counsel for the PACC. He's presented his case to the board and they've agreed to help by hosting evening seminars and forums to discuss the issues, said Martinez.

Cabanillas expects to complete his presentation by the end of July and move forward with the public forums from there. He's hoping the Peruvian-American community, including Fourth District Congressman Jim Himes, take a special interest in this topic, as these issues relate to them.

"I care about these people," said Cabanillas. "I want other people to care about them too."